Growing evidence for exercise in cancer care as Active Together supports 2000 people across Yorkshire

Health Innovation Healthy and Active 100 Living Well with a Health Condition

This week, our cancer prehabilitation programme Active Together marks the incredible milestone of supporting 2,000 people across Yorkshire.

Active Together class Launched in 2022, the service – designed by researchers at the AWRC, funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research and delivered by NHS trusts across Yorkshire – combines a structured physical activity programme with nutritional and psychological support to help people with a cancer diagnosis prepare for and recover from treatment.

As we reflect on this achievement, new findings from a major international trial add further weight to the growing evidence behind this approach. The CHALLENGE trial, led by Queen’s University in Canada, found that exercise may be as effective as drug treatments in preventing cancer from returning.

The trial ran from 2009 to 2023 and followed 889 patients after a colon cancer diagnosis. Participants were randomly split into two groups: the first provided with a booklet on healthy lifestyles and the second enrolled on a structured, coached exercise programme.

After five years, the participants who had followed the exercise programme – typically consisting of 3-4 weekly walks of 45-60 minutes – had a 28% lower risk of new or recurrent cancers compared to the first group. Eight years on, their risk of dying was 37% lower.

These findings align well with our experience delivering Active Together. A recent evaluation of the service found that those who participated in the service had a one-year survival rate of 95% compared to 85% for those who did not. In addition, 97% reported improvements in their vitality and wellbeing.

The case for incorporating physical activity in cancer care pathways is increasingly clear and we are proud to be putting it into practice. As we await the publication of the NHS 10-year plan, we call on the government to invest in services like Active Together, ensuring people across the country have access to life-changing physical activity interventions through their treatment and recovery.